Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu today got emotional while speaking about yesterday’s ruckus by the Opposition in the Upper House. He said that all sacredness of the House was destroyed yesterday when some opposition MPs sat on the tables and some climbed atop the tables while sloganeering against the government. Expressing anguish over yesterday’s ruckus, Naidu said that he spent a sleepless night because of the sacrilege in the ‘temple of democracy. The Chairman said that he struggled to find a provocation or reason for the lows seen in the House.
“Parliament, the apex legislature of the country, is regarded as the temple of democracy. The table area where the officers and reporters of the House, the secretary-general and the presiding officer are seated is considered the holy sanctum sanctorum of the House. A certain degree of sacredness is attached to the place. In temples, devotees are allowed only up to the sanctum sanctorum and not beyond. Entering the sanctum sanctorum of the house is itself an act of sacrilege. It has been happening as a routine for some time and I am distressed by the way this sacredness has been destroyed yesterday,” said Naidu.
RS Chairman and Vice-President Shri @MVenkaiahNaidu breaks down in the Upper House, disturbed by the disruptive behavior of the Opposition.
The nation has witnessed how anarchic the opposition has been and wasted public money by not letting the Parliament function. pic.twitter.com/3bR8NlbWoe
— BJP (@BJP4India) August 11, 2021
He said that the unruly behaviour of the members was an evident act of sacrilege. “I rise in deep anguish to place on record the way this august House is being subjected to sacrilege and that too propelled by a sense of competition among some sections of the House since the commencement of this monsoon session,” the Rajya Sabha chairman said.
The Rajya Sabha witnessed ugly scenes yesterday as opposition MPs climbed on the officials’ table, raised slogans and threw files on the chair. Several videos of the ruckus went viral on social media sites.
अडानी से यारी किसानो से ग़द्दारी नही चलेगी-नही चलेगी।
काला क़ानून वापस लो। pic.twitter.com/HqgRRfWrbr— Sanjay Singh AAP (@SanjayAzadSln) August 10, 2021
Several MPs stood atop the table where the parliamentary staff sits right below the chair. They were raising anti-government slogans over farm laws and other issues. While a few members squatted on the table for over one-and-half hours. The house faced repeated adjournments.
“I have no words to convey my anguish and to condemn such acts. As I spent a sleepless night last night, I struggled to find the provocation or reason for forcing this august House to hit such a low yesterday,” he said.
The Rajya Sabha Chairman also asked the members to seriously reflect on what happened yesterday and explore remedies if any.